


Renuion

by Deonara2012



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Space, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26955628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deonara2012/pseuds/Deonara2012
Summary: An unexpected hail brings hope they thought they’d lost.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12
Collections: Whole New World





	Renuion

"Someone’s hailing us," Yeosang said, turning in his chair to look at HongJoong.

HongJoong roused at that, pushing away the less than cheerful thoughts he'd been entertaining way too often lately. "Who is it?"

Yeosang shook his head. "I haven't got a clue," he said. "The source is unidentified."

HongJoong looked at Seonghwa, then shrugged. "Answer it."

Yeosang turned back to his console. "This is the ATEEZ," he said.

"It's about time you guys came around here," a familiar, cheerful voice said. "We've been watching you for awhile, but you were way out of communication range."

The whole bridge froze, staring at each other in sheer disbelief.

San broke first, reaching over to tap on Yeosang's panel. "Yunho?"

"Yeah. You sound surprised. What are you guys doing, anyway? Usually you go a lot faster than this."

"We're... taking it easy," San said, carefully not looking at HongJoong or Seonghwa - or anyone else, honestly - because it seemed way too unreal. "Going slow. We didn't want to... run into anyone."

"Who are you going to run into out here?"

"That's the point," San said. "Are you... by yourself?"

"No, Mingi's working on seeing if we can get closer to you. This old girl is falling apart on us. At least, it feels like that. We can't go much faster than you are, but we've got enough food and everything else to get us to the next station."

"Wait, you're... stuck out here?" WooYoung asked, finally finding his voice.

"Sort of," Yunho said, far too cheerfully for their situation. "We've been trying to get to somewhere to find a better ship, but it takes forever."

"Yes," San said, and swallowed. "Are... I mean, can you give us your coordinates? We can swing by and pick you up."

"Yeah. We'd like to see you guys again," Yunho said.

Jongho's console beeped, and he flinched hard enough to almost fall off his chair. "Got it," he said reflexively.

"Lay in a course," HongJoong said, his voice hoarse.

"That you, captain? It's good to hear your voice again," Yunho said. "I'll tell Mingi the good news, and we'll wait for you. See you soon."

The communication ended, and Seonghwa stirred for the first time since they’d heard Yunho’s voice. "It's... what actually happened?" he asked softly. "I mean... we have... we have so much. We saw them."

"We didn't," Yeosang said, his voice low and angry. "We saw two coffins."

"Is it safe around here?" HongJoong asked, recognizing that tone from Yeosang. He wanted to kill someone. HongJoong couldn’t blame him.

"It's... we haven't had a tail on us for a week," Yeosang said. "And we found all the trackers they put on us."

If he said they'd found them all, they had. HongJoong shoved the doubts away. It didn't matter, anyway; if they got found, then they'd fight their way out again. And again, until they got the message.

"As safe as possible, then," Seonghwa said. "How long to reach those coordinates?"

Jongho shrugged. "It'll take a couple of hours or about five minutes depending on how fast you want to go.

HongJoong hesitated. "Get us there somewhere in the middle," he said finally. "Seonghwa, I need to talk to you."

The two left the bridge, and HongJoong clenched his fists to keep from hitting the unforgiving bulkhead. They didn't have a specific place to meet, so they walked the short corridor from one end of the ship to the other. "How real do you think this is?" he asked.

Seonghwa growled under his breath. "I wouldn't be surprised to find it's not a trick," he said. "I bet the funeral was a trick, to get us to lead them to Mingi and Yunho."

"That's what I thought," HongJoong said. "If that's what it was, I will find a way to sneak us back in and turn Yeosang and WooYoung loose on whoever made that call." He folded his arms to hide how much his hands shook in anger. "Something has to change here, and I want them all dead."

Seonghwa pressed his shoulder. "We all do," he said softly. "And we'll get it. Somehow, someway, even if it means we live longer than they do and we get to dance on their graves."

"We’ll throw a party," HongJoong growled, and then sighed and felt his shoulders give, just a little. "And if this ship is the trick?"

"We'll take her down, blow it up without worrying about who lives or dies, and report to Yunho and Mingi’s graves about it," Seonghwa said. He bit his lip. "I hope it is them."

"So do I," HongJoong said, and they went back to the bridge in time for the Ateez to slow and pull up next to the smaller one, moving slower than they had. It didn't take long to connect the two, and HongJoong waited patiently as the two they'd spoken to, had missed so desperately for the last few months, came aboard. 

Yeosang and WooYoung stood between HongJoong and Seonghwa, something between bodyguards and secondary confirmation. HongJoong didn't want to take chances, but he really hoped it was his missing crew mates.

They couldn’t see anything, and then, there they were, Mingi and Yunho, looking like they had when HongJoong had last seen them nearly a year ago. It didn't seem real, and so he didn't step forward, didn't move at all, watching them.

Mingi's smile straightened first. "It's us," he said softly, his eyes on Yeosang and WooYoung. Neither he nor Yunho flinched when their ship disconnected and the Ateez pulled away. Jongho and San had done their job well. "Do what you need to prove it, but it is."

"Why were you going so slowly?" Yunho asked, his voice the same, that bouncy cheer adding an odd note to the tableau. "Usually you go as fast as you can, from one place to another."

"We had something to think about," Seonghwa said, his voice calm if stressed. 

Mingi didn't quite look at Seonghwa, although he did look in his direction. "Something to think about?" he asked.

"We just came from a couple of funerals," HongJoong said.

Mingi started and looked at him. "Not... Not San and Junho," he stammered, horrified.

Seonghwa snorted. "No," he said. "They're here, they just unhooked us from your ship."

"Then whose funerals?" Yunho asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

HongJoong straightened. "Yours."

Mingi and Yunho stared at him, eyes wide. "Ours? Our funerals?" Mingi stammered.

"Someone found you and had you executed, apparently. They let us know, just in time for us to show up." HongJoong shifted his stance. "I know you're both wanted."

"We didn't plan this," Yunho said, his eyes shifting to take in not only HongJoong, but Seonghwa, Yeosang, and WooYoung. "I know it sounds like something we'd do, but I promise you, we wouldn't have done it without letting you know. We didn't do this."

"It hasn't even crossed our minds," Mingi said. "At least, neither of us has brought it up. We didn't want to do something like that, wouldn't want to hurt you. Any of you."

To HongJoong's left, WooYoung relaxed, just a touch. HongJoong glanced at Seonghwa, who looked like Yeosang had eased up as well. Whatever criteria they had, Mingi and Yunho had passed it. "I'm glad to hear that," HongJoong said, and stepped forward. "Welcome aboard. We'd like to know what you've been doing."

The conversation took a long time. Mingi didn't say much, listening to Yunho's explanation, taking in the others, and not sure what had changed, only that something had. 

"You said we're wanted," Mingi said when the conversation had wound down. "What exactly are we wanted for?"

Seonghwa smiled wryly. "The same as ever. Smuggling."

Yunho sighed in exasperation. "Seriously, we didn't do that," he muttered. "It was a simple miscommunication. No one wants to believe it."

"They don't know you well enough to know that Mingi can't lie to save his life, and you're an open book," San opined, and jerked his legs out of the way when Mingi tried to kick him. San smirked, and Mingi grimaced back at him.

He'd missed this. Yunho was a good friend, and they had their in jokes and all of that, and it had been fun with Yunho. Mingi had still missed the rest of the crew, missed everything that they were, their... tempo. He sighed and leaned an elbow on the table, chin in hand. "So... now what?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm surprised they didn't arrest you when you showed up," Yunho said. "You're wanted as well."

"We were promised safe passage for the funerals," Jongho said. "We suspect they were tracking us, and that's part of why we went so slow. I mean, there wasn't a reason to go anywhere fast, and we needed time to think."

"A lot of time," San agreed, and nudged WooYoung, who jerked back to attention. "And plan our revenge."

"Do you think they're still following you?" Yunho asked.

“Not a chance,” Yeosaing said, with such conviction Mingi didn’t think to question him. “We got your stuff from your ship, and we've sent her on her way. If they find her, they won’t know where you got off.”

"Good. She was a good ship, once, but by the time we got her, she was about done," Mingi said. "I liked her, but she was lonely. And haunted. Not by just us." He glanced at Yunho, who nodded his agreement.

Seonghwa gave them a confused look, then shook his head, lips quirking up in half a smile. He was used to being confused by the two of them.

Decision made to keep going they way they'd started, Mingi retired to his tiny quarters, glad to have them to himself. It wasn't much, and there wasn't as much room as a shared place, but he liked the solitude. He found his things laid neatly on the bed, and he spent the first while getting them put away before he lay down on the bed, hands behind his head, and relaxed. It was good to be back with the crew.


End file.
